Hackers threaten to crash US gov network

Two more sites hit this weekend as the cyber war hots up

Aggrieved hackers have threatened to disable every US government Web server in retaliation for the FBI’s attempts to track them down. Two sites were broken into at the weekend – one a Federal supercomputer laboratory’s site and the other a site belonging to the Interior Department. A message was left on one home page declaring: "Now, it's our turn to hit them where it hurts by going after every computer on the Net with a .gov. We'll keep hitting them until they get down on their knees and beg." Hackers are claiming that their activities are an expression of freedom of speech on the Web and that they have become the victims of harassment. Last week, the FBI site was downed by hackers after nine people were arrested for alleged hacking-related offences. Despite the best effort of assorted spooks and government enforcers, the hacker community shows little sign of being intimidated by the FBI’s attempts to run them out of Cybersville. ®